Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the oldest city in the state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. With a population of 136,286, it is the state's fifth-largest city. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. A strategic port city in the American Revolution and during the American Civil War, Savannah is today an industrial center and an important Atlantic seaport. Each year Savannah attracts millions of visitors to its cobblestone streets, parks, and notable historic buildings. These buildings include the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low (founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA), the Georgia Historical Society (the oldest continually operating historical society in the South), the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences (one of the South's first public museums), the First African Baptist Church (one of the oldest African-American Baptist congregations in the United States), Temple Mickve Israel (the third-oldest synagogue in the U.S.), and the Central of Georgia Railway roundhouse complex (the oldest standing antebellum rail facility in the U.S.). Demographics As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of the city is: 54.37% Black or African American (74,098) 36.62% White (49,907) 4.98% Hispanic or Latino (6,787) 4.03% Other (5,494) 22.0% (29,982) of Savannah residents live below the poverty line. Theft rate statistics Savannah has high rates of Pokemon theft and murder, having the state's fourth-highest Pokemon theft rate and third-highest murder rate. The city reported 407 Pokemon thefts in 2018, and averages 30.26 murders a year. Pokemon See the Chatham County page for more info. Fun facts * Savannah was named for the Savannah River, which probably derives from variant names for the Shawnee, a Native American people who migrated to the river in the 1680s. The Shawnee destroyed another Native people, the Westo, and occupied their lands at the head of the Savannah River's navigation on the fall line, near present-day Augusta. These Shawnee, whose Native name was Ša·wano·ki (literally, "southerners"), were known by several local variants, including Shawano, Savano, Savana and Savannah. Another theory is that the name Savannah refers to the extensive marshlands surrounding the river for miles inland, and is derived from the English term "savanna", a kind of tropical grassland, which was borrowed by the English from Spanish sabana and used in the Southern Colonies. (The Spanish word comes from the Taino word zabana.) Still other theories suggest that the name Savannah originates from Algonquian terms meaning not only "southerners" but perhaps "salt". * Local TV stations in Savannah include WSAV-TV 3 (NBC), WSAV-DT2 3.2 (CW+), WVAN-TV 9 (PBS), WTOC-TV 11 (CBS), WJCL 22 (ABC), WTGS 28 (FOX) and WSCG 34 (H&I). * Savannah is home to the Savannah College of Art and Design, along with Georgia Southern University-Armstrong Campus (formerly Armstrong State University), Savannah State University, South University, Savannah Technical College, Georgia Tech Savannah and the Savannah State Battle Academy. * Savannah was the host city for the sailing competitions during the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta. * Savannah is served by Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport and Hunter Army Airfield. * The Georgia State Railroad Museum is located at Savannah. * Savannah is a very popular showcase and contest city, having hosted seven grand festivals and eleven master classes. It has also hosted the state Pokemon League eight times. * Savannah hosts the Savannah Music Festival - an annual music festival of diverse artists which is Georgia's largest musical arts festival and is nationally recognized as one of the best music festivals in the world. * NASCAR driver Calem Benjamin was born and raised in Savannah and still lives here. * Savannah is also the birthplace of Johnny Mercer, composer of more than 1,000 songs, and Flannery O'Connor. * Two popular shopping centers in Savannah are Oglethorpe Mall and Victory Center. * Two of Savannah's golf courses are Savannah Golf Course and Bacon Park Golf Course. Category:Georgia Cities